Recommend a good clip library manager?
 

So I've undertaken digitizing our family's collection of VHS tapes and 8mm movies. One thing I get asked a lot is, "Oh, could you give me everything with Meemaw and Richard?" Or, "Could we get everything of Uncle Norman to give to his widow?"

As long as it's just family memories, I can keep track of much (not all!) of it in my head. But if, as I'd like to, I start doing this for others...I need to find some kind of library manager to keep track of what's on what video so that I can access it and use it without having to hunt through every file (or worse, re-digitize the original tape!) every time a new request comes out.

Does anyone have any recommendations for software to assist with this end? I prefer open-source but I'm not adamantly opposed to commercial software, as long as it's not a subscription-based model.

Microsoft Excel and/or OpenOffice Calc, and just make a spreadsheet.

I've been around video a long time. Whatever whizbang nifty tool, or web site, you find will stop being updated and quit working in a few years. A spreadsheet has longevity, and will still work in 10-20 years.

Professionally, this is DAM (digital asset management). DAM is still infantile, even after 10+ years. No agreements, lots of expensive tools and setups. DAM is how broadcasters manage assets, and can pull up obscure clips so easily.

All right, then, if I'm going to create a spreadsheet, or possibly a database, what information do you find it helpful to include (something which you see as obvious might be something which I would never consider)?

For personal homemade tapes? Date, tape owner, tape shooter, who's in it, event.
As far as who's in it, you can add timecodes in () by their name.

I'm old school with this stuff. I still use a notebook, and in fact started it those 25+ years ago. Tapes are numbered, 1 page per tape.